The Curse of Red
by M. Sarah C
Summary: The story follows Jiraiya as he uncovers a black market of teenage assassins. Rented off for S-Class missions and other dangerous challenges to criminals. The disappearance of his Godson will come to life. Can Jiraiya handle the truth? And if he can, can he save these minors from their abusive "Mother". (WARNING: torture scenes and teen abuse are included) ENJOY!
1. Prologue (The Curse of Red)

Snow. Fox liked snow. It was white and pure. It was the cloud that came to earth. Fox was sitting on a log staring at the snow. Snowflakes fell from the sky. It was so pretty. Fox tried to catch one on his tongue but remembered his mask. He didn't dare take his mask off. But the white forest was still pretty. He drifted in and out of consciousness. And then he saw a fox. The fox was pure white and blended in with the snow. Fox liked the little fox. He wished he was white. White was his favorite color. But he could never be white. The fox stared at Fox. He wondered why it didn't run. Didn't it know he was a monster? Then it ran away. It hurt. He didn't want the fox to leave. But it was better that way. The snow was white, but it turned red. Everywhere he went turned red. That was his curse. The curse of red.


	2. Kaito

Jiraiya was known for being kicked out of almost every hot spring resort in the Land of Fire. He couldn't help it. He liked the girls. It was a great distraction. He knew he should be over it. It had been six years.

But he couldn't help it. Minato had been his prize student. Heck, he had been chosen as the Godfather for his unborn son. It was tragic. Minato and his wife had only been 24 when they died. And their son… he had gone missing a couple of months after the incident.

The Hidden Leaf Village was just too painful to go back to. So, he traveled and wrote. About what? Girls, of course. When he wasn't peeping or writing, he was in a bar, to gather intel. Jiraiya liked to catch criminals, reminded him of the good old days.

Sometimes he'd hear something about Orochimaru, though it wouldn't lead anywhere. Today, Jiraiya had his eye on a group of four burly looking men at the back table. He listened in, seeing if there was anything interesting.

"So, what's the plan?" someone said.

"The town has quite a bit of security. We might need to hire some help." said another.

"You mean Shinobi?" whispered the third.

"No way. They wouldn't dare attack one of their own neighboring villages," said the fourth.

"What do you suggest we do?" said the first.

"Kaito," whispered the fourth voice.

"No way," whispered the second one.

"But those things are so expensive!" the third voice whispered a little too loudly.

"Shh! Don't talk so loud!" the fourth voice commanded very quietly," We can get one of the less expensive children to rent. And if that's too much, we can just rob an old guy. Speaking of old guy…"

The man stood up and walked up to the bar and then held a kunai to Jiraiya's neck, then spoke softly, "Hey buddy, how about you give us your wallet before we do something that'll hurt."

The bar went dead silent and people started to freak out. Jiraiya spoke a little louder than the man, "Hm, no. But that Kaito woman sounds interesting know where I could find her?"

"Hey! From now on, we'll be the ones that'll be demanding things!" the man barked.

And thus, the bar fight commenced. Jiraiya punched the man square his face. The man screamed in pain and slit Jiraiya's neck. The clone disappeared and the man, now with a bloody nose, looked shocked. Apparently, he didn't expect that Jiraiya was a ninja, albeit a retired one. The man motioned to his friends to get away when a kunai pressed against his own neck.

"I think from now on, I'll be asking the questions," Jiraiya said wryly. The bar started clapping and the other men were tied up as enforcers arrived. Jiraiya led the man outside to interrogate him.

"So, this Kaito woman, what sort of children does she 'RENT' out?" he said quite angrily.

"Oh, uh… Kaito owns a 'BUSINESS'," the man said nervously.

"What kind?" Jiraiya asked inquiringly.

"I can't tell you, but… I can tell you where to find her," he said.

"Now, we're getting somewhere,"

"She has a 'HOUSE' in the Land of Rice Patties," the man told him nervously.

"Really?" Jiraiya asked," Well, I'm done with you. I'll let the enforcers take you away."

"Wait?! You're sending me to jail?!" the man squeaked.

"You were planning to attack a village, weren't you?"

The man gulped, "You, you heard that?"

"I hear everything," Jiraiya responded in a happy tune.


	3. Mother

Racoon played with his sand. He liked sand. He liked the way it felt in his toes, how it felt in his fingers and the sand liked him. Whenever someone tried to hurt him, his sand would block the attack. That was why he could keep his sand. It was useful. Currently, he was making a tiny sandcastle that was turning into a pyramid. Making a sandcastle without water is quite hard to do. But it was only a distraction as he waited for Fox to come back.

Fox had recently been rented out to attack a town near the Village Hidden in the Mist. He was due to arrive back earlier in the day, and now Racoon wondered why he was late. Fox slept in the cage across from him. Fox had big blue eyes and yellow hair that spiked upward. He was also super easy to talk to. Partly because Fox wasn't allowed to speak. He wasn't allowed to take his mask off either.

Of all the kids Mother hates, Fox is number one. Sometimes, she would 'PUNISH' him because she felt like it or was angry. It didn't make sense. He never broke the rules or tired to run. Cat, who would constantly try to escape, was 'PUNISHED' less than Fox. One more thing Racoon would never understand.

Racoon didn't really understand Cat. Why would she run away from home? Punishment hurt and was done in a dark room, deep below, where no one would hear you. Cat slept in the cage next to his, so he didn't see her often. Cat had blond hair that she usually kept braided to keep out of her face. Cat was a lot older than Fox or Racoon though only 2 years at home and remembered a time before home. She would always ask us why we didn't run away. Racoon had tried to explain to her that Mother loved us. At least, Mother told us she loved us.

Today, he was going to talk to Cat, "Hi Cat. How was training?"

"Boring," she replied unenthusiastically.

"Did you hit all of the vital spots?"

"Yep."

"Good," Racoon said in defeat. Conversations were never his strong points. Suddenly, the door to the room opened. The room went dead silent. They watched as Fox and Mother entered the room. She had her hand in Fox's hair, shuffling it around.

"Now, was that so bad?" Mother said as they walked to his cage, "Remember, I love you." This was a habit she had after she had 'PUNISHED' him. Usually the punishments lasted a couple of hours. That explained why he had been late and why Mother didn't oversee Cat's training, which had been finished an hour ago.

They approached Fox's cage. Fox quietly entered and sat down. Mother closed the cage and walked to the door. She blew out the candle and locked the door. No one spoke. Fox closed his eyes leaned down preparing for the torrent of questions.

"So, uh… you were 'PUNISHED' again?" Cat began in a sympathetic tune.

"CAT!" Racoon chirped sharply

"Hey! What did I do?"

"You know he doesn't like it when you ask those questions!"

"Look. I was just asking. Fox probably didn't anything wrong and that woman was bored!" Cat replied angrily.

" How many times do I have to say this, she is our Mother!" Racoon was very loyal even if she wasn't the nicest.

"Heh. She's not mine. And I have a feeling she isn't yours either," Cat said looking directly at Racoon. Then she turned to Fox and quietly asked, "Is she yours?"

What a silly question.

And so, home went quiet.


	4. What is 'Home?

It had been a long time since he had gone to the Land of Rice Patties. There had been a rumor that Orochimaru had made a 'nest' in the country. This, of course, was a dead end. It was always a dead end. Honestly, Jiraiya didn't expect to find anything. He'd never find something big until he could stomach going back to the Village.

So, boy was he surprised at what he found. The road trip there was unremarkable, nothing much happened. All he did was walk, rest, eat, sleep, and repeat the process. What WAS interesting was when he was in the Land of Rice Patties. The Land of Rice Patties was a very poor country. Most of its economy survived off of the sale of rice patties, hence the name. The country was probably the best place for crime in the entire world. So Jiraiya wasn't surprised when a robber ambushed him on the side of the road.

He had just been walking when he heard rustling in the bushes. Obviously, these guys weren't very sneaky. But he pretended not to notice. The rustling continued and got progressively louder. Again, Jiraiya pretended not to notice, but it was getting harder.

The rustling in the bushes got so loud, he couldn't take it! He turned around and yelled straight at the bushes," If you're going to ROB me, how about being QUIET as well!" The bushes were startled as if they didn't know he knew they were there. Quietly, a little boy exited the bushes he had been using to cover his tracks.

"WOW! A REAL NINJA!" the boy exclaimed in admiration.

"Look, kid. I don't really have time for autographs. I'm on a super important mission that requires 'stealth'. I don't think you too have ever met before,"

"Well, that's why I want you to teach me!" the boy yelled enthusiastically.

Jiraiya's eardrums were starting to hurt, "Listen, my days of teaching are over. Besides, why would a squirt like you want to be a ninja?"

The boy seemed to brighten a little, something Jiraiya thought was impossible since he was already so happy, "I wanna join the 'HOME'!"

"'HOME'?"

"Yeah! It's sorta like a Village but better and cooler and… more selective," the boy began, sounding just a tad sadder, "That way I can provide for my family!"

Jiraiya pondered the new information. As far as he knew, the Land of Rice Patties didn't have a Village. If they did, then he of all people would know about that. And the way the kid had used 'HOUSE' paralleled what the guy who was planning to attack a village had said. Had he actually discovered something?

"How _are_ they selective?"

"Only the leader approves of who enters. You have to be a skilled ninja and you can't be over 15 years old," the boy recited proudly, "then you live there until you leave."

"Interesting. Why 15?" Jiraiya asked. He was going to milk out any information he could get from this kid.

"No idea. But I have to become a good enough ninja before I turn 15. Which is why I need YOU to train me!" the boy yelled impatiently.

15 was such an odd number. You'd think that they'd want some adults in the mix to keep the kids safe.

"Hold your horses! I still have a mission to do, but if you help me, maybe I can teach you a thing or two,"

"Really?! Ok!" the kid chirped happily.

"First, your name please,"

"Sekkachi!"

 **P.S. If anyone understands the joke at the end, comment and I'll give you a shout-out! By the way, you also need to explain the joke and only the first three that are correct get a shout-out. Got it? Good. Sorry if this one is a little short and it's been awhile since I updated a chapter.**


	5. Silence isn't Good

Silence wasn't good. Ryusei didn't like it. The gang was never this quiet. The Camellia and Thoothheart gang were always feuding. It was common for them to attack each other. Though, usually, they never worked. The Camellia was more powerful and had more connections but that doesn't help you in the Land of the Rice Patties. Besides the Thoothheart gang had better fighters. Ryusei didn't have to worry. He was currently sitting in his room, sipping some tea. The night was peaceful. Of course, he had guards placed around his room.

Being a gang leader also meant death threats every week. The window was open, though, to let the breeze come in. Suddenly, confirming suspicion, there was a loud noise of the other side of the gang hideout. Guards were sent in that direction, but there best guard stayed by Ryusei's side. He closed the window and locked the door sealing them inside. Ryusei tensed. This felt different than all the other assassination attempts. It felt planned.

Not planned well enough as they had attacked the wrong side of the hideout. The guard beside him stared, ready for anything, or at least that's what it first looked like. Then the guard started to stumble. His body swaying and then falling onto the floor. Ryusei shook him, then saw the needle-like dart in his neck. When did that happen? How did they drug his guard without his notice? The window slid open and Ryusei hopped to his feet and bolted through the open window. The shadow at the window pursued Ryusei into the forest surrounding the hideout.

After a bit, Ryusei decided to fight. If he ran, it would just follow. He would show this Camellia what he was made of. The shadow caught up, alarmingly quick confirming fighting was his best chance for survival. But he was expecting what he found. The shadow was a boy, no older than six, wearing all black. He wore a mask that covered his face and yellow hair stuck out in all directions. Ryusei was about to laugh and remembered how skilled the attack was. It was brilliant and the boy was alone, meaning he had planned it.

Ryusei threw five kunai in his direction. The boy jumped to a higher branch than the one he was sitting on. The boy opened his pack and slowly removed throwing needles, the tips covered in a green substance. Ryusei flung a shuriken at the pack and the needles fell onto the ground. The boy stood up and without a word disappeared. A clone? He looked around the woods. Where was that boy? He felt something whiz by his neck centimeters from puncturing skin. Ryusei spun around to catch a glimpse of the boy. He was done playing. Ryusei stood at full length on the tree and put his hands into a sign and then spoke, "Secret Hidden Art, A Thousand Needles of Death!" Air-like needles sprayed everywhere from his body. He heard a grunt and assumed at least one had hit their target.

Wasting no time, he found the boy and kicked him hard into a nearby tree. He was surprised the boy had lived his attack. That meant he hadn't hit his heart. The boy was fast, he'd give him that. But not fast enough. The stun from his needles were probably over now, and he looked at the boy's unconscious body. And then it disappeared. Man, this kid used clones a lot. Where is he now? Ryusei thought for a moment. The boy wouldn't stand a chance in a physical fight. And the kid knows that.

He's obviously hiding, leaving the fighting for his clones. Now all he had to do was fend the attacks and look for the original. Suddenly, thousands of kunai were thrown from every direction. Ryusei dodged most but was hit once or twice, not badly though . He stumbled up and saw the boy standing in the trees. He had summoned hundreds of clones and had surrounded him into a circle. The boys was breathing heavily. Obviously, having all these clones at the same time was wearing him out. Perfect. All he needed to do was tire him out. He gave props the boy was still standing. But he wouldn't be standing much longer.

Apparently, the boys knew that too. He stood on the tree branch and then down. He went for his bag and pulled something out. Ryusei tensed until he was what it was. A syringe. The medical type. Was he a medical ninja? In the syringe, there was a red liquid. The boy looked at the syringe for a while, almost with a glimpse of fear, but immediately shrugged it off and shoved it back in. Ryusei was curious. After he killed the boy, he'd look at it. Then the boy changed his stance. He shifted to perform a jutsu. Ryusei prepared for the attack. Under his breath, he heard the boy mumble, " _stitch."_

Four thick air-like threads, the size of human arm flowed from his body. They sprung towards Ryusei. He evaded the first two but the third burrowed into his leg. Ryusei screamed and looked at the boy. This was obviously taking its toll on the boy, looking more tired than ever. The boy was a Wind style too? What a terrifying coincidence. Blood spilled from the hole in his leg. The forth was heading straight toward his heart. This was it. The end. He closed his eyes as the thread punctured his body.


	6. Newspapers

Jiraiya followed Sekkachi into the tiny trading town. Advertisements were strewn all over the place. From the latest model of sandels to inns with hot springs attached. As he walked into town, something caught his eye. A _business_ that seemed to be calling his name. The girls out front spun their signs and Jiraiya fell victim to the tourist trap.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going!" Sekkachi squealed and pulled him back into the streets.

"What was that for? Grown-ups got to play too, you know," Jiraiya argued. He couldn't believe the kid had actually pulled him back. The kid was definitely strong. Maybe he could become a ninja.

"Trust me, you don't want to go in there, that's _Camellia_ territory. You'll get your head chewed off if go there," Sekkachi said with emphasized bitterness on the Camellia, "The only thing keeping them at bay is their rival, Sabertooth."

In any other circumstance, Jiraiya wouldn't have been strayed from the place. But gang war was different. It was always better not to interfere. Bad things tend to occur in gang wars. They kept on moving. One stand caught his eye. It was selling newspapers with the headline reading, SABERTOTH GANG LEADER FOUND DEAD: EVIDENCE OF FOUL PLAY. Apparently, Sekkachi found that intriguing.

Sekkachi ripped one of off the stack (Jiraiya hastily paying for it) and read it. His face changed from interested to furious. "Are you kidding me?!" he yelled. Jiraiya expected for this outburst to draw attention. But it seemed everyone who was there was uttering similar responses.

"I don't understand. Their leader was a retired Shinobi. How did one of their thugs penetrate their defense," he mutteed under his breath. Jiraiya had never met a kid so invested in politics.

They kept on walking until they reached the more suburban part of town. Sekkachi brought him to a small tiny shack that _could_ classify as a house. The windows were broken and paint peeled off the walls. A young woman opened the door and greeted him, "Hi. Oh, it's so nice to have visitors!"


	7. Animals belong in cages, right?

The shuriken blazed through the air. It punctured the wooden figure stand in. There are five of them. The arena was dark, the usual lighting. The room was large, half a football field. There were no windows. There were no windows in home.

The wooden figures maneuvered around him in a circle. Long distance. She was mad. Couldn't blame her. It was stupid. Why hadn't he switched? If he had just switched to shot range, this wouldn't have happened. Fox threw a wave of kunai. He glanced at the black oil smudge on the floor. Fox jumped away from the smudge as shuriken pounded the spot. It switched from long range to short range in an instant. Fox switched out his kunai for his metal claws. A preferred weapon, as it allowed him to concentrate his chakra.

The blades glowed a faint blue. Fox ripped at the wooden figures. They swung at him. He ducked at the attacks. Metal clashed violently. One of the wooden figures had stopped moving. One down. He needs to calm down. Emotions won't help him here. Breathe. Maybe she knew what Fox was thinking as she glanced at the timer. The remaining wooden figures jumped back. Distance, so fast? Fox couldn't play for the long haul this time.

He pulled out his needles. He hadn't been thinking that night. Well, he was now. Fox threw the needles at one of the wooden figures. It struck the neck. A vital point. Another down. Ten shuriken came straight at Fox. He threw them off of course with his needle. Fox got another vital hit. Two more. The wooden figure flipped to short range fight style. Fox removed his metal claws and cut the two remaining figures in half. A loud buzzer sounded through the arena. She walked over to Fox and pat his head.

"Fifteen minutes. A little slow for you. Though you were a little sloppy with the final kill. Keep in mind to keep your emotions in check during a drill," she began. It would be easier if she weren't constantly changing the scenario.

"Meet me later to discuss your performance at your most recent job." Code for 'I will be punishing you later'. Fox knew how that talk would go. Of all things, why did he do stitch? There was a high percent it wouldn't work and now there's a trail. Not like the trail will be followed but nonetheless, it was a dumb move. It was supposed to look like a thug killed him but now it's evident it was a shinobi.

One thing's for sure, Fox wouldn't make a mistake like that again. She would make sure he remembered this lesson. He really shouldn't have used stitch. It's a only in dire circumstances jutsu. Just like… never mind. She led him down the same hallway he had seen. She opened the doorway into the dining room. Some of the kids stared at him. It was normal for them to stare.

Fox, Racoon, and Cat didn't see the other assassins much. They were always kept separate. That was the rules. Fox walked swiftly. He saw enough angry, scared looks from her. She and Fox reached the end of the room. She opened the door that led to the basement. Sorry, the _bedrooms._ They were just cages, stacked cages. Like a pound or something. Fox feels like he should be angry at that, but then again, animals go in cages, right?


	8. author note

heyo. due to this story rising form the dead fter being dorment for a year or so, i actually decided to rewrite the sucker. the original's really dumb and 'deep', ESPECIALLY the first chapter. besides, might be fun to work with somethin this EDGY. i also want to draw fanart for it. got inspired by this one song called The Hunter. look it up, its amazing. if this were an anime, that would be the opening song. but ye, changing a lot of things. still an AT, (or AU depending how u look at it). but im setting it in SHIPPUDEN. there's enough baby orphan blood on my hands already. TEEN orphan blood on the other hand, is a while 'nother ball park. probs gonna keep this even after i rewrite this but I'll just move it to the front. maybe i should stop writing so much crap.

lol nah.


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